Evidence of Mold.

[N/A N/A]

Is this basically a no-go for most rehabbers or is it something that you would consider if the price is right? I don't know the extent of the mold yet, but has anyone here had to deal with removal of mold, and if so was it worth it in the end?

[J Scott]

A few points for the various posts:

- I have no problem buying houses with mold...even lots of mold. Generally, the discounts on these houses are much steeper than "clean" houses and the extra discount more than makes up for the extra work

- As someone else said, if mold doesn't have moisture, it will stop growing. If there is mold in a house, it's because there is a moisture source that needs to be remediated. Could be a roof/siding leak, could be a burst pipe, could be a foundation that isn't well-sealed, or could just be built-up humidity in a vacant house. Fix the moisture issue, and the mold will not continue to grow.

- Bleach and water is *NOT* the right way to get rid of mold. Bleach will cover it up (bleach turns things white), but won't kill the mold. You're only hiding the problem when you do this. You need to either remove the moldy material (especially anything very porous) or use an anti-microbial to kill the mold.

- There are lots of ways to kill mold, but I like the permanent way -- get rid of any sheetrock and insulation that has it, and use an anti-microbial on all other wood or ductwork. If you have to tear out all the sheetrock in a house, just make sure your offer reflects the discount.

- There is no way to know if mold is "black mold" or not just by looking at it. You have to test it. And like someone else said, it really doesn't matter what kind of mold it is if you get rid of it completely.

- I always disclose when I resell a house that had mold. That said, my disclosure is nothing that will catch anyone's attention. Basically, I'll say, "Remediated water intrusion issues and mold in parts of basement..." or something similar.

- I've never had a buyer even ask about past mold problems in one of my houses (the fact that everything is new probably takes away most of their concerns), but if a buyer did have an issue with a past mold problem, I'd have no problem paying for a mold test during their due diligence period. It's about $300 and should alleviate all concerns (assuming you removed the mold appropriately).